Matthew 13:3-9 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!Through this parable, Jesus was giving us a “heads up” regarding the devil’s schemes which attempt to derail us from our faith in God, so that we will not fall prey to them unnecessarily.
All of us are growing spiritually at different speed, but we need to be cautious against stagnant growth. Jesus emphasizes the need for us to know the condition of our own hearts because the heart is deceitful. Yet, the Word of God is powerful, and when it goes forth, it will not return to God void but shall accomplish all that He has purposed to do. As such, the Word is often referred to as a seed; the heart of man the soil, and the condition of the heart will determine the resulting growth of the seed.
Mark 4:13 And He said to them, “do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?”
We must all deal with our own hearts because a hardened heart will not be open to the teaching, correcting and the training of righteousness that comes with God’s Word. Having the right heart and attitude is the prerequisite for all that Jesus teaches because if we are open to the Word of God, the rest of the revelations will flow. Going to church does not make us a Christian just like going into a garage does not make us a car. Instead, we need to apply the truth in our daily living if we want to walk in God’s ways and live a godly and righteous life.
The aim for every farmer as he plants the seed is to have a harvest. As long as the seed falls on the right soil, it will produce a bountiful harvest. Therefore, God’s intention is for us to build the right foundation—prepare our hearts to receive and to believe in the power of the Word.
Sermon Series: Breaking Free – What Does Jesus Want Us to Know?
合适的土壤
马太福音 13: 3-9 他用比喻对他们讲许多道理，说：“有一个撒种的出去撒种；撒的时候，有落在路旁的，飞鸟来吃尽了；有落在土浅石头地上的，土既不深，发苗最快。日头出来一晒，因为没有根，就枯干了；有落在荆棘里的，荆棘长起来，把它挤住了；又有落在好土里的，就结实，有一百倍的，有六十倍的，有三十倍的。有耳可听的，就应当听！
透过这个比喻，耶稣给了我们一个“警告”，魔鬼的诡计企图使我们背弃对神的信心，因此我们不要轻易上了牠们的当。
我们每个人的灵命成长都有不同的速度，但我们必须谨防停滞的成长。耶稣强调我们需要认识自己内心的状况，因为人心诡诈。然而神的道是有权能的，神口里所出的话，绝不徒然返回，却要成就一切祂所命定的事。因此 道 常被称为种子；人心是土壤，心的状况将决定种子最终成长的结果。
马可福音 4:13 又对他们说：“你们不明白这比喻吗？这样怎能明白一切的比喻呢？“
我们必须对付自己的心，因为刚硬的心无法领受神的话语所给予的教训，归正和公义的操练。拥有正确的心和态度是领受耶稣所有教导的先决条件，因为当我们向神的话语敞开时，其余的启示就会涌流而入。去教会不会使我们成为基督徒，就像进到车库不会使我们变成汽车一样。我们若要行走在神的道中，并活出敬虔公义的生命，就必须将真理运用在日常生活中。
每个农夫播种的目的都是盼望收割。只要种子落在好土里，它就会有好收成。因此神的旨意是要我们建立正确的根基 — 预备我们的心来领受并相信神话语的大能。
讲章系列：挣脱得自由– 什么是耶稣想让我们明白的？